Brain Cancer

Everything we do at Varian is motivated by a desire to make a difference in the lives of patients. For a first-hand perspective about the patient experience in radiotherapy or radiosurgery treatment, we invite you to read and watch our patient stories. These patients have shared with us what it was like after they were diagnosed and then treated using powerful technology from Varian.

Odette Pringle had learned to tolerate her headaches but when her vision began to blur, she became concerned. She went to an ophthalmologist, who thought the problem might be due to cancer; following an MRI, it was soon discovered that Odette had a benign brain tumor growing...

Patient Stories

Varian Medical Systems' linear accelerators are intended to provide stereotactic radiosurgery and precision radiotherapy for lesions, tumors, and conditions anywhere in the body where radiation treatment is indicated.

Safety

Radiation treatments may cause side effects that can vary depending on the part of the body being treated. The most frequent ones are typically temporary and may include, but are not limited to, irritation to the respiratory, digestive, urinary or reproductive systems, fatigue, nausea, skin irritation, and hair loss. In some patients, they can be severe. Treatment sessions may vary in complexity and time. Radiation treatment is not appropriate for all cancers. You should discuss the potential for side effects and their severity as well as the benefits of radiation with your doctor to make sure radiation treatment is right for you.

Radiation treatment may not be appropriate for all types of brain tumors. Serious side effects can occur and include fatigue, hair loss where you receive radiation, scalp irritation, muffled hearing, and short term memory loss. Talk to your doctor about whether radiotherapy or radiosurgery is appropriate for your treatment.